The National Nutrition Council – Region 7 invited the PSA –Bohol to send one representative to talk about Agricultural Statistics Monitoring Systems on 09 September 2019. Statistical Specialist II(SSII) Blecila M. Paredes was tasked to attend and prepare a presentation for the said event.

Municipal Mayor Eugenio Datahan II welcomed the participants who were mostly the Pilar LGU’s heads of offices or their representatives, members of the Municipal Nutrition Committee, President of the Barangay Nutrition Scholars, and from other National Agencies and LGUs like PAGASA, BFAR, Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, Provincial Health Office, and Pilar Rice Processing Center(RPC).  

Dr. Parolita A. Mission, the Nutrition Program Coordinator presented the rationale of the activity. She mentioned NEDA’s criteria of identifying Pilar as one of the potential areas for expansion of Local Nutrition Early Warning System for Food and Nutrition Security (LNEWS-FNS)S. She stressed that with Pilar’s high stunting and wasting prevalence among children as well as its vulnerability to potential natural risk and other calamities that may affect the agriculture sector, and being a major crop producing area, the LGU’s partnership with the National Nutrition Council would be a great help. LNEWS-FNS was developed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). The system serves as a tool towards prevention and alleviation of Food Insecurity, thus putting an end to mortalities resulting from malnutrition. However, this tool requires data on prices, production and changes in climate for it to function properly. Pilar was the second pilot area in the province, with Buenavista, and was fifth in Central Visayas. The first three were in Cebu. Further, she motivated the participants who are the prime movers of the program by ending her message with the famous quotation from Henry Ford, i.e., ”Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; and working together is success”

Ms. Julie Vanie Palaca, also from NNC, showed the Background of NNC, which is the country’s highest policy-making and coordinating body on nutrition. One of its functions is the regular monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition(PPAN). She ended her presentation with the structure of the Provincial/City/Municipal Nutrition Committee and the priority action to reduce hunger and malnutrition. Ms. Bea Margaux Cornella, Nutrition Officer I of NNC 7 followed with the overview and objectives of the Consultative Workshop after which Ms. Palaca continued with the definition of Food Security and Insecurity. Accordingly, Food Security is the state of having access by all people at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life and hunger is the severe form of food insecurity.

Ms. Ana Liza Anib shared the programs and interventions of BFAR which would help in achieving food security in Pilar and the whole province. Mr. Victor Doblas followed with the technology of culturing Tilapia. He encouraged the LGU to revive the operation of Pilar hatchery in barangay Cagawasan so as to continually provide its constituents with quality fingerlings. In behalf of Mr. Roman Dabalos, the Manager of Bohol Agricultural Promotion Center, his better half presented the programs of DA 7. She also shared the agency’s varied interventions like distribution of seeds, farm implements and equipment since 2018.

After the lunch break, Mr. Ariel Abalos, the new Officer-in-charge of PAGASA, Dauis Station presented the agency’s programs including the different  tools and equipment. The first major project of PAGASA in Bohol was the establishment of Doppler Weather Radar in Bohol which is located in the municipality of Alburquerque. He also oriented the group with the different weather systems affecting the country, the Cyclone Classifications and Public Storm Warning Systems. Mr. Edwin Osana, a staff from RPC shared also information regarding the role of RPC, its Vision, Mission and Mandate.

SSII Paredes talked about the PSA’s regular Agricultural Statistics activities like the Agricultural Price Surveys, the different Productions Surveys, Household Stocks and Agricultural Wage Rate Survey. She presented some concepts and definitions used in every activity, its frequency of collection, the reference period, data items, the statistics generated as well as the scheduled release of designated statistics. Data sets were prepared for the workshop. Last to present was Ms. Beatrice Rafols of PHO – Bohol. The plenary discussion followed.